On Tuesday, April 27, Mayor Sara Presler and Councilwoman Coral Evans asked the Flagstaff City Council to consider a lawsuit to block implementation of Arizona’s new anti-immigrant law, SB1070. The law drastically increases police intrusion into everyday life in the name of hunting down “illegals”; among many other abhorrent provisions, legal residents face potential jail time if they are stopped and are not carrying their papers.

Dozens of community members came out and commented against the law, many with great eloquence and passion. The Council noted the tremendous burden it will place on city resources and its imposition on local control of law enforcement. After hours of testimony and discussion, the Council unanimously agreed to direct the city legal staff to study a possible lawsuit, and to return to the issue next Tuesday.

That decision put Flagstaff at the forefront of the national debate over this law. Phoenix is currently stuck in a jurisdictional argument over who can decide to sue, and the government of Tucson has been reserved on the issue. On Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh called our council “turncoats” on national radio, and a flood of phone calls and e-mails – including death threats – began pouring into the city. Mayor Presler is up for re-election on May 18th, making her the first elected official in the U.S. to fully face public reaction over the issue, and marking her stand on it as an act of true political courage.

This Tuesday will likely be one of the most crowded and contentious meetings in Council history. Pressure from conservatives will be enormous and groups opposed to the law are also beginning to organize locally. It should be a fight worth watching and more importantly – worth waging.

Editor’s Note: If you wish to show your support to this effort, you can contact the Flagstaff City Council at: council@flagstaffaz.gov

Ian Kaplan is a Flagstaff resident and founder of the Facebook Group Am I An Illegal?

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503309 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fflagstaff-citizens-stand-up-against-arizonas-new-profiling-law-via-ian-kaplan%2FFlagstaff+Stands+Up+Against+Arizona%E2%80%99s+New+Profiling+Law+%7E+Via+Ian+Kaplan2010-04-30+21%3A36%3A06elephant+journalhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D50330 to “Flagstaff Stands Up Against Arizona’s New Profiling Law ~ Via Ian Kaplan”

This article makes me worry we have developed a citizenry that engages in doublespeak.

"Profiling law"? The law does not call for profiling. That is distortion. Political theater at best.

Neither is the law "anit-immigrant." That, too, is political rhetoric. Dishonest.

Why are you not protesting the same law that exists as a federal statute? All this law does is mirror the federal provision and thus give the state the right to enforce the federal law already on the books. This law points out that the federal government has failed to enforce immigration law that protects the border. Very simple.

The true "anti-immigrant" effort lies with the political partisans who fail to push for valid guest worker legislation that allows the migrants to enjoy a clearly defined legal status and to enjoy earning money legally as guest workers. The true anti immigrants are Democrats who seek amnesty instead of guest worker legislation so that they can increase the voter roles.

The only thing going on that is anti-immigrant is the dishonesty, corruption, and double-speaking gangsterism of political hacks. The migrants deserve better. Citizens deserve better. End the distortion. Go to Washington and push for a valid guest worker program.

Sara Presler has been passionate about this issue and has been leading the charge to file an injunction against SB 1070. She's in the middle of a re-election campaign, and needs all the support she can get to fight the good fight If she is successful, Flagstaff will be the first of the three major cities in AZ to make an effective stand against this bill.

Her website is: http://www.saraformayor.com/. Please consider making a donation to her campaign and voting for her if you live in Flagstaff!

so much for the land of the free. As an American expat (ie, immigrant) in the UK, I have only tasted a small piece of the discrimination that they must feel day in and day out, and much of the UK is vehemently anti-immigrant. The people who have put profiling into place are an embarrassment and fly in the face of human rights. It's a slippery slope from here to far worse things. The US has a terrible reputation abroad as being a racist country – I am not left with much to say to counter that when the subject comes up.

Greg, he was shot by narcotics smugglers, not by those seeking entry into the country to live and work. Big difference.

Once again, the number of illegal entries into AZ dropped by 20% from 2008 to 2009 and is dropping even further from 2009 to 2010…so it appears there is political opportunism here, but not on the side you contend it is. It is true though that its not about the welfare of the people…but about the GOP in AZ trying to draw attention away from an imploding economy and budget via scapegoating. History doesn't always repeat itself but it often rhymes…